Elevator



(NOMode1. I '2 SheetsSheet 1.

- E. 'W. H'OUSER 8v 0. C. DECKER.

ELEVATOR.

Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.)

. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. W. HOUSER 8v 0. G. DECKER.

ELEVATOR.

Patented Feb. 20,1894.

anti-9M ATTORN 5Y5,

THE NATIONAL LITHQGRAFNING cowum.

EDGAR V. HOUSER AND CLARENCE O. DECKER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,225, dated February20, 1894.

Application filed January 3, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDGAR W. HOUSER and CLARENCE O. DECKER, ofSyracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in elevators of the particularclass set forth in the Patent No. 458,627, issued September 1, 1891, toE. \V. Houser, and has for its object the production of a device foropening and closing the elevator. shaft doors or guards as the car movesup and down, which is extremely simple in construction, practical andeffective in operation, and occupies but a minimum amount of space so asto enable it to be placed in elevator shafts in which there is butlittle distance between the car and the wall of the shaft; and to thisend the invention consists, essentially, in hinged elevator shaft doorsor guards, a car, a support or guide at the side of the car, a leverhaving one end hinged to the doorat a point between the extremitiesthereof, an actuating lever having one end arranged normallyin the pathof the car, a link having its central portion hinged to the opposite endof the actuating lever and having one end hinged to the door lever at apoint between the extremities thereof and the other end hinged to saidsupport or guide, and a second link having one end hinged to the outerend of the door lever and the other end hinged to the actuating lever.

The invention consists furthermore in the detail construction andarrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly describedand pointed out in the claims.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like lettersindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an elevation of an elevator car, a portion of two floors ofa building shown as above and below the elevator car, and as providedwith elevator shaft doors or guards, supports or guides for the elevatorcar, and

our improved invention illustrated as oper- Serial No. 456,977. (Nomodel.)

atively secured to said doors and supports or guides. Fig. 2 is anenlarged elevation of a detached portion of one of the supports orguides, one of the elevator shaft doors or guards and ourdooroperatingmechanism connected to said parts for opening and closing the door. Fig.3 is an edge view of the detached shaft door operating mechanism shownat Fig. 2 and its detached plates secured to the door and to thecorresponding guide or support for the car. Fig. 4 is an enlargedhorizontal sectional view, taken on line et 4, Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 and 6are enlarged vertical sectional views, taken on lines -5-5 and 66, Fig.2.

Itis frequently the case that elevator shafts, which are to be providedwith doors, are of but slightly greater cross sectional area than thecar, so that but little space intervenes between the car and the Wall ofthe shaft, and consequently it is often necessary to cut through thewall of the shaft to obtain the requisite room for the shaft dooropening and closing mechanism operated by the movement of the car. Itfrequently happens, however, that the elevator shaft is so constructedor so placed with reference to adjoining rooms that it is impracticableto cut through its wall, and often it is impossible to provide such ashaft with elevator shaft doors.

Our present invention has been designed for the express purpose of usewhen but little space intervenes between the car and the adjacent wallof the elevator shaft to be provided with the dooropening and closingmechanism, and is of such construction as to occupy but a minimum amountof space vWhen the door is open, and as to permit of its ready andpractical operation in order to reduce to a minimum the amount of powerrequired in operating the same.

A represents the elevator car guides or supports, only a portion ofwhich are here illustrated, and B- the elevator car, which is shown asinterposed between two floors O-O having elevator doors -OO.

At the lower end of the car B are rounding faces bbwhich, as presentlydescribed, actuate our door operating mechanism to open the door O'O'-,and at the upper end of the car -B is a curved face --b, which engagesthe under faces of said doors in the usual manner, and elevates them tothe position assumed by the lower doors at Fig. 1. The elevator shaftdoors or guards O'-C, which are of the same construction as the doorsshown in the aforesaid patent, No. 458,627, are hinged at -cc tosupports -C O secured to the top face of the floors OU or other suitablesupport at the side of the guides or supports AA. As clearly seen atFig. 1 the guides or supports AA are formed with guide ribs A-A'-, whichare engaged by suitable guide arms B'B- upon the elevator car B-.Portions of said guide ribs A' A directly above the doors C-C- are cutaway for enabling the doors to swing upwardly beneath the said ribs,and, as also clearly seen at Fig. 1, the doors GO'- are formed ontheirnormally lower faces with ribs C C which, when the doors are open,are aligned with the ribs A'A and form, essentially, continuations ofsaid ribs for supporting and guiding the elevator car when passing thedoors O' DD are plates secured by suitable fastening means d to thecorresponding faces of the car guides or supports AA', and -E-E areplates secured by suitable fastening means eto the central portions ofthe top faces of the doors O-C'-. As best seen at Figs. 3 and 4 each ofthe plates --D is formed with a projecting spindle D'--, and, as bestseen at Figs. 3 and 6, each of the plates -E is formed with aprojectingear E-.

FF- are door levers each consisting of a pair of bars f hinged at theirlower ends to a pin emounted in the corresponding ear E, and GG arelinks each consisting of a pair of bars gg arranged at the oppositesides of the corresponding levers FF and having their lower ends hingedbya pin f' to the central portions of said levers -FF, and their upperends provided with eyes -g'g registered with the corresponding spindlesDD'. Consequently one of the levers F and one of the links G form atoggle between one of the shaft doors E and the corresponding support orguide A, and, as said door moves upwardly as presently described, thelever -F- swings on the pin eand the link G on the spindle D, and thelever F swings between the bars -gg of the link G until its normal lowerend is almost directly above its normal upper end, as shown at Fig. 1.

HH are actuating levers each having one end hinged at h to thecorresponding link G and the other end formed with a downturnedextremity h'. As clearly seen at Figs. 1 and 2 each of the levers H isof slightly less width than the distance between the bars g-g of thecorresponding link G in order that the outer end of said link may swingfreely between said bars, and said lever is formed on its normal lowerface with a rib h'' of less width than its normal upper face.

II are links each having one end hinged at 'i to the central portion ofthe corresponding lever H,, and the other end hinged at t" to the normalupper end of theadjacentleverF-. Said linksII are each preferablyconstructed of a lower section I formed with a screw-threaded upper endt' and an upper section --I composed of a central bar i formed with ascrew-threaded socket for engaging the screw-threaded end -z' of thelower section I and with upwardly extending arms i t' arranged onopposite sides of the rib h of the lever H and formed with eyes 2' -?lfor receiving the pivotal pin z' previously described. As the elevatorcar is descending the rounding faces bb engage the normal upper faces ofthe actuating levers HH and depress said levers into the position shownat Fig. 1. The links II thereby depress the normal upper ends of thelevers FF, rock said levers on their pivots ee,and elevate the normallower ends of said levers FF for opening the doors. As clearly seen atFigs. 1, 2 and 3 the links -II are arranged in a plane interposedbetween the planes of the inner faces of the bars gg composing the linksGG, and are free to swing between said bars, thus permitting ourimproved door operating mechanism to operate in a very limited space notgreater, if desired, than the width of the guides or supports AA.Moreover, as is evident to one skilled in the art, the construction ofour improved door operating mechanism is such as to permit the door tobe opened with a minimum amount of power, and to cause the door whenopening or closing to move at a substantially uniform speed.

The operation of our invention will be readily perceived from theforegoing description and upon reference to the drawings, and it will beparticularly noted that the same is simple in construction, practical inoperation, durable and effective in use, and that it occupies but aminimum'amount of space.

Having thus fully described our invention, What we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elevator, the combination with the cara guide support therefor,and a shaft door; of a lever having one end hinged to the door, anactuating lever having one end arranged normally in the path of the car,whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever,a link having itscentral portion hinged to the actuating lever and having one end hingedto the door lever at a point between the two extremities thereof and theother end hinged to said support, and a second link having one endhinged to the outer end of the door lever and the other end hinged tothe actuating lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an elevator, the combination with a car a guide support therefor,and ashaft door; of alever having one end hinged to the door, anactuating lever having one end arranged normally in the path of the car,whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever, a link having itscentral portion hinged to the actuating lever and having one end hingedto the door lever at a point between the two extremities thereof, andthe other end hinged to said support, and a second link consisting oftwo sections having their opposite ends adjustably secured together, theouter end of one section being hinged to the outer end of the door leverand the outer end of the other section being hinged to the actuatinglever at a point between the two extremities thereof, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

3. In an elevator, the combination with the car a guide supporttherefor, and a shaft door; of a lever having one end hinged to thedoor, an actuating lever having one end arranged normally in the path ofthe car, whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever, a link havingits central portion hinged to the opposite end of the actuating lever,and having one end hinged to the door lever at a point between the twoextremities thereof, and having the other end hinged to said support,and a second link having one end hinged to the outer end of the doorlever and the other end hinged to the central portion of the actuatinglever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an elevator, the combination with the car a guide supporttherefor, and a shaft door, of a plate having one extremity secured tothe door and the other provided with a projecting ear, and a secondplate secured to said support and formed with a projecting spindle; of alever having one end hinged to the ear of the plate secured to the door,an actuating lever having one of its ends arranged normally in the pathof the car, whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever, a linkhaving one end hinged to the door lever at a point between the twoextremities thereof and the other end hinged to the spindle projectingfrom the plate secured to said support, and a second link having one endhinged to the outer end of the former lever and the other end hinged tothe actuating lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In an elevator, the combination with the car a guide supporttherefor, and a shaft door; of a lever having one end hinged to thedoor, an actuating lever having one end arranged normally in the path ofthe car, whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever, a link havingits central portion hinged to the opposite'end of the actuating leverand having one end hinged to the door lever at a point between the twoextremities thereof, and having the other end hinged to the outer end ofsaid support, and a second link consisting of a lower section having itslower extremity hinged to the door and its upper end screwthreaded, andan upper section formed with a central bar engaging with thescrew-threaded end of the former section and provided with arms extendedupwardly above said centralportion and having their upper ends hinged tosaid actuating lever at a point be tween the extremities thereof,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an elevator, the combination with the car a guide supporttherefor, and a shaft door; of a lever having one end hinged to thedoor, an actuating lever formed with a down-turned end arranged normallyin the path of the car whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever,said lever being provided on its normally lower face with a projectingrib, a link having its central portion hinged to the opposite end of theactuating lever and having one end hinged to the door lever at a pointbetween the two extremities thereof and having the other end hinged tothe outer end of said support, and a second link consisting of a lowersection having its lower extremity hinged to the door and its upper endscrewthreaded, and an upper section formed with a central bar engagingwith the screwthreaded end of the former section and provided with armsextended upwardly above said central portion and having their upper endsarranged on opposite sides of said rib and hinged thereto, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

7. In an elevator, the combination with a car a guide support therefor,and ashaft door; of a lever having one end hinged to the door, anactuating lever having one end arranged normally in the path of the car,whereby the car in its movement rocks said lever, a link composed ofseparated bars arranged on opposite sides of the actuating lever andhaving their central portions hinged to the opposite end of saidactuating lever, whereby the actuating lever swings between said bars,said link having one end hinged to the door lever at a point between itstwo extremities thereof and having the other end hinged to said support,and a second link having one end hinged to the outer end of the doorlever and the other end hinged to the central portion of the actuatinglever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an elevator, the combination with a car a guide support therefor,and a shaft door; of a lever consisting of separated bars having theircorresponding ends hinged to the door, an actuating lever having one endarranged normally in the path of the car, whereby thecar in itsmovement, rocks said lever, a link composed of separated bars arrangedon opposite sides of the former lever and the actuating lever and havingtheir central portions hinged to the opposite end of said actuatinglever, whereby the actuating lever swings between said bars, said linkhaving one end hinged to the door lever at a point between the twoextremities thereof and having the other end hinged to said support, anda sec- 0nd link arranged in a plane interposed between that of theseparated bars of the former link, whereby the second link swingsbetween said bars, said latter link having one end interposed betweenthe projecting ends of the bars forming the door lever and hingedthereto, and having its opposite end hinged to said actuating lever at apoint interposed between the extremities thereof IO substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names, in the presenceof two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, inthe State of New York, this v 15th day of December, 1892.

EDGAR W. I-IOUSER. CLARENCE C. DECKER. Witnesses:

CLARK I-I. NORTON, M. BAXTER.

